Fruit Girl
by beingthedifferentme
Summary: Lucy's family owns a market. When Natsu moves to town, his family opens up a new diner. Lucy is the delivery girl, so she sees Natsu a lot. Then there's Sting, Lucy's secret boyfriend. He makes her promise not to tell anyone about their relationship while he goes off pretending to date another girl. What happens when Natsu sees through Lucy's façade? Chap. 15 EDITED -COMPLETE-
1. Let's keep it a secret, ok?

**Hey, guys! So, here is a new story! I've been wanting to write this one for a while, so here you go! Enjoy!**

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Lucy walked up to the new restaurant in town. Her family owned the only local produce store in all of Magnolia, and she was a delivery girl. A new family, the Dragneels had recently moved into town, and they were opening a restaurant in a week, called "Wind and Fire Diner". It was supposed to be a family restaurant. The people of Magnolia were delighted to finally have a family-friendly place to eat. The last diner was owned by a very old man, and he had passed away ten years before. Since then, everyone had been too scared to open a new diner. They didn't think that they could live up to the old man's expectations.

Lucy rang the bell at the side door of the building. She heard some yelling inside, and finally someone opened the door.

"Um, I'm here to deliver your fresh produce." Lucy held up the box of fruit and vegetables in her hands.

"Oh, thank you! I was just about to go pick that up. You didn't have to bring them all the way here." The man reached out his arms for the box. He had fire-engine red hair, and he had a warm smile.

"Well, I'll be going, then." Lucy turned to leave, but the man stopped her.

"Wait, come inside, won't you? We live just up those stairs. I'll meet you up there with a check for the produce." He motioned for Lucy to go up the stairs. "Oh, and my name's Igneel Dragneel!" He yelled to her as she walked upstairs.

"Mine's Lucy!" She yelled back.

When Lucy got up to the second story of the building, she walked into the open-concept living room/kitchen in awe. It was so much bigger than she had imagined. Looking at the building from the outside, it looked tiny. She never thought that there was that much space up there.

"Who're you?" A boy with messy pink hair sticking up in all directions walked up to her. His skin was wet and he didn't have a shirt on. Lucy felt her cheeks heat up, blushing.

"Um, I'm Lucy. Igneel told me to wait up here so that he can give me a check for delivering the fresh produce. Who are you?"

"I'm Natsu," he said skeptically,"Igneel's son."

"Sorry to make you wait, Lucy. Here's the check. That should cover everything." Igneel walked up the stairs and handed her an envelope.

"It was nice meeting you, Igneel," Lucy turned her head,"Natsu."

"Nice to meet you, too." Igneel waved to her as she walked out of the big apartment.

Lucy picked up her bike outside that she had left lying against the building. Thankfully, nobody had stolen it. A boy with sun-colored hair walked up to her. He had a cool aura about him. Of course, that made him the most popular guy in school. He was always voted homecoming king, so nobody even attempted to run against him. He was also the captain of just about every sports team the school had to offer. There was never any doubt that he was truly amazing.

"Hey, Lucy. How did your delivery go?" He walked up to her and pulled her into a kiss. She kissed back happily.

"It was good. But, you know Sting, there's a new guy that just moved in. I met him. You might have some competition there." Lucy smiled, her forehead pressed against his. It was like lightning wherever they touched.

"Oh, really?" Sting kissed her again, longer this time. "Maybe I'll have to knock him down a peg or two." Lucy giggled.

"Hey, we have to talk," Sting said, serious now. "I don't want people knowing that you're my girlfriend."

"Wh-what?!" Lucy pulled away from him, furious now.

"I'm just looking out for you. You know how many girls love me, I don't want them attacking you just because you're my girlfriend, you know? They can be pretty vicious."

"Looking out for me? Seriously? You think that pretending to not be boyfriend and girlfriend would actually be good for me?" Lucy started to storm off, but Sting caught her arm.

"Hey, hey, calm down. I'm just trying to be a good boyfriend. This whole commitment thing is kinda new to me, so I want to make sure that you don't get hurt, ok?"

"Yeah, I guess I get what you mean." Lucy sighed. "They would be pretty mean, wouldn't they?"

"They would, so I think it's best for you if we act like we aren't dating, ok?" Sting looked into her eyes, pleading for her to give the answer he wanted.

"Yeah, ok. I'll pretend that we're just friends."

"No, we have to act like we don't even know each other. And, I'm going to act like I'm dating Minerva, for appearances. That way, people can get mad at her, not you, and they won't suspect a thing."

Lucy started to get mad again, but she loved him, and she didn't want to screw things up with him. "Fine." That was all that she could get out before she hopped on her bicycle and rode away, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

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**So... what did you think? I know it's not great yet, but I already know where this story is going and think you're gonna like it! Please review, I always want feedback, good and bad!**


	2. The new guy

**Hey guys! Thanks for continuing to the second chapter! How did you like the first one? Sorry, it wasn't my best, I know. Anyway, I want to clear something up. This is NOT a StiLu/StiCy fanfic, it's NaLu. Sorry for those who are big fans of Lucy and Sting, but this story will have Lucy and Natsu fall in love with each other. Maybe next time. So, it may not seem like it, but the NaLu moments are on their way soon! Without further ado, enjoy, and review!**

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Lucy walked up to Fairy Tail Academy with her best friend, Levy, at her side. They had known each other since Lucy had moved to Magnolia in first grade after her mother died.

"Hey, Lu, what's that?" Levy asked, pointing to the mob of students in the courtyard.

"I don't know, but I'm about to find out," Lucy replied before pushing her way through the crowd. Lo and behold, standing dead center was none other than Natsu Dragneel. When he noticed her, the pinkette winked in her direction, and I swear you could hear every girl on campus swoon. It was kinda ridiculous.

"Luce! I didn't know you went to Fairy Tail!" Natsu walked up to her. Lucy blushed as all eyes were suddenly on her. A wave of recognition passed through the crowd as they realized that she was the girl from the incident the year before- Fruit Girl.

"Um, yeah. This _is _the only high school in Magnolia. It's kinda common sense that I would go here, since I'm seventeen." Lucy shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with so much attention on her.

"Oh, yeah." Natsu rubbed the back of his neck, smiling. "I'm not the smartest person that ever lived."

"Fruit Girl! Natsu Dragneel is talking to Fruit Girl!" someone shouted through the crowd. Everyone started cracking up, but Lucy's heart stopped. She wanted to run and hide, but her body wouldn't move. All she wanted to do was forget about what happened. She though it had all blown over, guess not.

Natsu looked at Lucy in confusion. She looked like she was going to cry.

Suddenly, a flash of red swooped Lucy away from the group of students. "Not here you don't," Erza said as she carried Lucy away. Erza put Lucy down when they got into the bathroom, and locked the door.

"I'm so sorry Erza." Lucy was sobbing by now.

"Lucy, it's not your fault, they're all just bullies," Erza got an evil aura around her. "and I'm going to break their necks."

"Erza, that won't help anyone." Lucy sighed. "It's really not that big of a deal. I just thought everyone had forgotten, you know? I never thought that they would bring it up again this year. But, really, I'm fine. More shocked than anything, honestly."

Erza looked down at the ground and took a deep breath. "I just wish they wouldn't be so mean just because you have a job. I mean, since when is that a bad thing?" She looked at Lucy with big eyes, like a child that just asked what happens when people die.

"They're not mean because I have a job. They're mean because I'm weird, different. I don't fit into their mold of girls who don't think about anything but boys and how to get them into bed. I actually try to be a good friend, and I get good grades. Things like that are foreign to them, unless they're in front of grown-ups. They don't really understand anything, and they're insecure, so they choose to pick on someone who isn't insecure. And I'm not. So they think that I think that I'm better than them, but I really don't, and they decided to try to knock me down a peg- when, really, they're just showing their own insecurities by bullying me."

"But, I don't fit that mold either. So, why don't they pick on me?" Erza asked, suddenly interested in why people didn't treat her the same way as her blonde friend.

"Erza, when I say this, I say it in the best way possible, ok?" Erza nodded. "They're scared of you. You're too tough and intimidating for them. They don't want to get on your bad side."

"But they did, just for being mean to you!" Erza fumed.

Lucy patted her on the back. "I know, I know. But, honestly, it's fine. So, can we just forget about this and go to class?"

'Yeah," Erza sighed, opening the bathroom doors. She and Lucy high-tailed it to class, trying to avoid anyone who had been in the courtyard earlier.

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Finally, they made it to their classroom, and Lucy took her usual spot in the back. Nobody sat next to her, thanks to the seating chart. This was one day she was especially grateful for that.

Gildarts cleared his throat, signaling the start of class. "Ok, is everyone here?" he asked absent-mindedly. The class nodded simultaneously, so he continued. "We have a new student today. I'm guessing you all know him already, but whatever. Come on in, Natsu." Lucy didn't hear the pinkette walk into the room, not even when he sat down in the empty desk next to her. She was too engrossed in her book to look up, or notice that the whole class had erupted in noise. She was pretty used to the noise, Gildarts didn't care what they did, as long as they didn't tell on him for dozing off in class.

"Luce, what're you reading?" Natsu moved closer to the blonde, trying to read over her face.

Lucy jumped out of her chair when she realized how close he was. He was breathing down her neck! And his breath was abnormally hot...

"Wh-what are you doing?!" She stumbled, falling to the ground out of surprise. Natsu caught her just before she hit the ground, and Lucy blushed big time.

"I'm in this class, duh," Natsu laughed.

"No, I mean, why are you sitting next to me? There's an open seat next to Minerva...," then Lucy's eyes drifted over to where Minerva was sitting. Sting was sitting in the seat next to her today, and they were making out. Lucy almost threw up. Natsu followed her eyes and smiled at her.

"I'm not huge on PDA either."

Lucy shook her head,"No, that's not it." She could feel the tears forming in her eyes again and she looked away before Natsu could notice. She buried her head in her book for the rest of class, ignoring Natsu's attempts at conversation.

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**So, what do you think about chapter two? Oh, and another thing, I'm not sure about Sting and Minerva being a thing so... tell me what you think about their relationship. I always want feedback, good and bad, so have at it. If this story totally sucks, tell me, so that I can try my best to make it better. No matter what you have to say, I can take it, so PLEASE review! Thank you so much for reading my story! It means a lot to me as a writer.**


	3. You're pathetic

**All I have to say is thank you. I am so happy to just know that someone, somewhere, reads what I have to write. And for those of you who took the time to write a review, I am forever grateful. Whether good or bad, what I wrote gave you something to think about, at least enough for you to want to say something about it. Please continue to read what I have to write, and review if you can. So, here's chapter three.**

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"Luce, what's wrong?" Natsu fell into step with Lucy as they walked to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Nothing. What do you mean? I'm fine." Lucy tried to walk ahead of Natsu so that he wouldn't see the tear stains on her face.

"Luce, you were obviously crying during class, and you ignored me! Those are both red flags for upset!" Then, Natsu realized something. "Is it because of what happened in the courtyard this morning. I'm so sorry about that Luce, really. I'm not exactly sure what happened."

"Just, leave me alone, ok?" With that, Lucy walked the rest of the way to the cafeteria alone. She left Natsu, standing in the middle of the hall, astonished. How had he messed things up so badly, so quickly?

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Natsu's P.O.V.

I walked up to Gray, who was sitting at a table with Lyon in the cafeteria. When I tapped him on the shoulder, he turned to look up at me.

"What do you want, Flame Brains?" He laughed at his own joke. I rolled my eyes, it really wasn't the time for this.

"I need to talk to you, now." I walked away, hoping he would understand and follow. I made it to the courtyard and sat down, to be joined within moments by Gray.

"What's up?" He knew that something was wrong, or he would still be teasing me, like always. Even though I'd just moved there, I've known Gray since we were kids. our parents were good friends, so naturally, we saw a lot of each other.

"Do you know that girl, Lucy?"

"Yeah. What about her?"

I took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't hold this against me. "What's this 'Fruit Girl' business? It seemed to upset her a lot. She was crying all though class, and she wouldn't talk to me."

Gray turned to me. "Man, I don't know if it's my place to tell you this."

"Please," I begged.

"Ok, ok, but don't blame me if she gets mad that you know. All she wants to do is forget, trust me." Gray sighed. "Last year, there was this Sadie Hawkins dance, you know, where the girls had to ask the guys. Anyway, Lucy was going to ask out this guy, Hibiki, who she had kinda become friends with in class. They didn't really know each other, though. They were just school friends. So, Hibiki is this really popular guy, right? And Lucy is this total bookworm that nobody has even noticed. Minerva overheard her talking to Levy, though, about how she was going to ask Hibiki to the dance. Of course, Minerva didn't want this actually cute bookworm dating a popular, so before Lucy had the chance to ask Hibiki out, she put together this whole video about 'Fruit Girl'. It was basically a bunch of people bashing Lucy, and at the end, Minerva edited it so that it seemed like Hibiki said that Lucy was ugly, and fat, and a total loser. You could tell it was edited, but people just ran with it. Suddenly, Lucy was known all over school as 'Fruit Girl'. Hibiki actually wanted to go to the dance with Lucy, but she refused, because she didn't want to drag him into her troubles. It started to get pretty bad, too. The video had gone viral on YouTube. Not to mention that Lucy ate in the bathroom everyday for the rest of the year because she refused to sit with us, thinking that it would cause us trouble. Then, at the end of the year, Lucy had to give a speech because she was at the top of the class. While she was talking, a bunch of jerks started throwing fruit at her, and booing her off the stage. She ran out of the room crying, and spent the rest of the summer trying to keep a low profile."

I just sat there, letting it sink in. Lucy had been bullied last year, big time, and nobody had done anything.

"Why didn't Erza stop them? She seems like the type of person to stand up for her friends."

"Lucy wouldn't let her. She said that if Erza laid a hand on anyone for her, she would stop being her friend. And the worst part is, I don't think Lucy ever found out that it was Minerva's fault. None of us had the heart to tell her when we found out, and when we finally got up the nerve, we couldn't do it because it would just bring up bad memories, you know?" Gray stood up. "Look, I've gotta go, Juvia's gonna get worried. See you later."

"Yeah, see you later."

Now I understood why Lucy was so upset. And it was all my fault. If I hadn't called attention to her in the courtyard, nobody would've noticed she was there, and they wouldn't be calling her names again. I resolved to stay her friend, no matter what, and stand up for her, no matter the consequences.

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Normal P.O.V.

"Hey," Natsu said as he slid into his seat next to Lucy. When she didn't reply, he added, "Gray told me what happened last year. But don't worry, I won't let the same thing happen twice. If anyone says anything to you, tell me, I'll handle it."

Finally, Lucy looked at Natsu. "You just don't get it, do you? None of you do. I don't want you to do anything. Anything that you could possibly do would make you just as bad as them. That's not what I want. So, for now, I'll wait it out, just like last year. Eventually, it should blow over and everything will go back to normal. But, my only chance at that is to not be associated with you. So stay away, got it?" Lucy turned back to her book, thinking that she had won the argument.

"No, Luce, I don't get it. I guess I must be stupid or something, because I don't understand why someone would go through what you have and just sit there, not bothered at all. You have to do something about this! No more sitting by and letting them harass you! If you won't let your friends stand up for you, then stand up for yourself! I'm not saying that you have to be violent, just stand up for yourself. Words can be just as powerful as a fist. And no, this is not something that you can choose to do or not. This is something that you have to do. Something that you owe to yourself. From what I know of you, you are a good person, Lucy Heartfilia, and I will not stand by to watch you get beaten down by some petty bullies. That is the one thing that I will not do. So, no, I will not stay away, not as long as you can't stand up for yourself."

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Lucy walked out of the school to be greeted by a chorus of "Fruit Girl!"s. She stopped in the middle of the crowd of students and turned around slowly, looking at each and every one of them.

"You know, I get it. I understand why you guys do this. You're just so pathetic, and you feel so insecure that you have to make fun of someone else, for fear of standing out, and being the one person who doesn't. You let the populars influence your every move. If they tell you to jump, you say, 'How high?' And, you know, I feel bad for you. Because you're all just their robots. All you do is what they tell you. I didn't do anything to anyone in this school to deserve this treatment, which means that the real problem isn't me. So, ask yourselves, 'Why am I doing this? Why am I bullying someone who has done nothing to hurt me, or any of my friends? Someone who hadn't bothered anyone here? Someone that nobody even knew before someone anonymously posted a video bashing her?' Ask yourselves those questions. Take some time to really think about it. You'll be surprised by your own answers." Lucy turned back to the front doors of Fairy Tail Academy to see Natsu smiling the brightest smile that she had ever seen. He walked right up to her, everyone watching, and they walked home together without another word to anyone else.

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**Girl power! Whoop! Whoop! Go Lucy! I'm so proud of her. (Jeez, now I sound like my mom.) I hope you guys enjoyed the third chapter of "Fruit Girl". Please review with any feedback that you have, good or bad! Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot. :)**


	4. Promise not to tell?

**Hey! The new year is sooooo close! I have to finish a book report still... Oh well! I'll figure something out, somehow. Anyway, enjoy this new chapter of Fruit Girl! R&amp;R**

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"Luce, I think that was really cool, what you did back there." Natsu was walking Lucy home after school the same day that she finally stood up for herself.

"Whatever, can we please not talk about it?" Lucy brushed Natsu off, and walked into her house. Natsu just followed, not bothering to ask if he could come in.

"But, it was awesome! Did you see the looks on their faces? They were hilarious! You totally told them!" Natsu was grinning from ear to ear, but all Lucy could think about was the crap she would get for doing that.

Lucy suddenly fell to the ground. Natsu rushed towards her, to find her sobbing. "Hey, what's wrong?" He rubbed her back, trying to get her to open up to him.

"Wh-what if they get mad at me again? I don't want to go through that again, Natsu! I can't take it anymore! I just want to be happy again!"

Natsu's eyes turned to the floor. How could he help his friend? "I know. And you don't have to go through that ever again, because I'm your friend! As long as I'm here, nobody can touch you!" He smiled reassuringly at her.

Lucy sniffled. "Really?"

"Really!" Natsu smiled that wide grin that only he could pull off.

Lucy was caught off guard. Was he making her feel something? Did he actually care?

All of the sudden, Lucy heard her front door open. _Who could that be?,_ she thought.

"I'm gonna go see who that is." Lucy walked to the front hall, and stopped in her tracks. It was Sting. Sting was at her house, for her. Why was he there? Then, before he could say anything, he pulled her into a kiss. It was deep, and almost forceful, like he had truly missed spending time with her.

"Luce, who-" Natsu was cut off at the sight of his new friend making out.

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Natsu's P.O.V.

"What's going on here!" I yelled at Lucy. I saw Minerva and Sting making out in class earlier. Was Sting cheating on Minerva with Lucy? No, that couldn't be it. Right?

"Um, it's not what you think?" Lucy tried. Even she seemed to think it was a poor excuse. Sting was standing by the sink, trying to act like he didn't care about anything. It really pissed me off. How could he be so nonchalant about this?!

"Man, just mind your own business." That was it!

"Ok, somebody is going to tell me what's going on here, or I'll tell the whole school that I saw you two making out!" Lucy and Sting both looked at me in shock. Yup, I was going there.

Lucy seemed to look to Sting for confirmation. Why? I didn't understand any of this. Sting just shrugged. He REALLY pissed me off.

Lucy took a deep breath before starting. "Sting took a part-time job at my dad's store over the summer. We were both delivery, um, people? Anyway, we got pretty close. Before we knew it, we started dating, and then he asked me to be his girlfriend."

Why was he kissing Minerva, then? "Wait, so why was he kissing Minerva today?"

Lucy looked at the ground, not want to talk about, but I looked at her sternly. She sighed. "Sting asked me- we decided to keep our relationship a secret from people at school, because Sting didn't want them coming after me again. Then, he started fake dating Minerva to keep people off our trail, I guess."

Before I knew what I was doing, I had punched Sting. He looked at me with fierce eyes. I just smirked back, happy I'd done that.

"What the fuck?" Sting lifted his hand to punch me back, but Lucy stepped in-between us before he reached my face. _Slap! _He'd hit her.

Lucy took a deep breath to calm down, then she pointed her finger towards the door. "Out. Sting, get out, now." Sting left without another word.

Lucy calmly went to the freezer and pulled put an ice pack, which she put against her quickly bruising face. It would be an ugly one.

"Um, do you need me to do anything?" I was trying my best not to try her nerves.

"No, just sit." When I was sitting at her table in the breakfast nook of her house, she continued. "I love Sting." My heart dropped. Wait, why did my heart drop? And I felt like I was going to throw up if she said another word. Thankfully, I held it in so that she could talk. "I know he isn't the best person in the world, but this summer he really helped me out of a dark place. He made me smile when I felt like I was going to cry because of what happened at school. So, I understand if you don't approve of our relationship, but please keep it a secret? He's set on it... to, to keep me safe!" She added the last part hastily, and I knew that she didn't completely believe it herself.

"I'll have to think about it. I don't know if this is a burden I'm willing to bear, especially because it's not the right thing for you." With that, I stood up and showed myself out. I walked home in the dying light of the day.

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**What do you think Natsu's going to say? Will he keep the secret because that's what Lucy wants? Or will he look out for her best interests and tell everyone about her relationship with Sting? Let me know in the review section! Thanks for reading, and I hope you keep it up!**


	5. We're done

**Hi! Happy New Year! 2k15! Whoop! Whoop! I hope this is a good year. Anyway, here's a new chapter! I hope you enjoy! R&amp;R**

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Chapter Five

Normal P.O.V.

Natsu walked up to Lucy, who was waiting for him outside of the school gate. She looked nervous, almost as if she was expecting someone to come up to her and pull down her skirt.

Lucy turned and saw Natsu walking towards her. When she did, she jogged towards him. "Natsu!" she yelled. When she got closer, she said,"Have you made your decision yet?"

"Yeah," Natsu grunted, pulled his book bag back onto his shoulder. "I have."

"And?" Lucy said excitedly. She just _knew _that Natsu would keep her secret. They were friends, right?

"And, I decided not to keep you secret. What if Minerva doesn't really know about you? Or what if Sting made up some stupid reason to her that he was seeing you in private? I don't want to see you get hurt, Luce. I'm doing this for you." Natsu started walking away from the crestfallen blonde.

"Natsu! Wait up!" Lucy had to speed-walk to keep up with his fast pace. "Please! Please, don't tell anyone. They would start again, and I don't think I can go through that again. Not to mention that it would hurt Sting," Lucy begged.

Natsu stopped walking and turned to his friend. "Luce, you don't have to go through that again. I'm going to be there for you. I won't let that happen to you again." Natsu paused, and then he started walking again. "And as for Sting, I don't really care what happens to him. What he's doing to you is wrong, Lucy. Until you realize that, I just have to deal with it for you." With that, Natsu walked into his homeroom, leaving Lucy outside to think.

* * *

"Everybody, line up! All of you are going to race around the track once, and then we're going to race for endurance. Both boys and girls are going to be racing at the same time," Coach Laxus announced. The students groaned. None of the girls liked running, except for Lucy.

"Alright, who wants to go first?" Laxus asked, expecting it to be all boys. To his surprise, Lucy raised her hand excitedly. Minerva looked over at her and raised her hand confidently in response. Laxus raised his eyebrows, this was definitely a change.

So, at the start line stood Natsu, Gray, Minerva, Sting, and Lucy. Laxus blew his whistle, and they were off!

Right at the start, Lucy was in the back of the pack, but this was normal for her. She always quickened her pace as she went on. Natsu was in the front with Gray and Sting on his heels. Minerva was just in front of Lucy, and it was clear that she was not good with running. This wasn't for long, though. Soon, Lucy had surpassed Minerva and quickly caught up with Natsu. At this point, they were about halfway around the track. Lucy continued to speed up, and Natsu provoked her, pushing her faster still. He began to regret that, though, because then he could't keep up. Lucy left him in her dust as she crossed the finish line. Levy and Erza were cheering.

Laxus walked over to the winner. "That was very impressive Lucy. It's a new record for the school. How long have you been running track?"

Lucy laughed as she caught her breath. "Not a day in my life. I have to run when I make deliveries for my dad's store, though. I guess that helps."

Laxus was in shock. How had she gotten so good without any proper training? "Yeah, I guess I'm going to have to get the whole track team to make deliveries for your dad to gain some experience," he laughed. Then he had a thought. "Hey, have you ever considered being on the track team? Or cross country? I think you would be great at both. I coach them both, cross country in the fall and track in the spring. Why not give it a shot?" He looked hopeful.

"Oh, I don't know, I don't think I'd be any good. I've never been on a sports team before."

Natsu clapped a hand on her back. He had just finished as second place and was grinning from ear to ear. "I think you'd be great, Luce. I'm going to join the football team, then we'd both be on teams!"

Sting came over and jumped in. "No, Lucy offered to be the new manager for the football team."

Natsu turned to glare at Sting. Lucy had this great opportunity, and here Sting was taking it away from her.

Laxus decided to interrupt the teens. "Actually, boys, Lucy will be participating in both cross country in the fall and track in the spring. Otherwise, I will fail her in gym." Lucy looked at him in awe. Did her really want her that badly? Or was he just trying to stop a possible fight between the boys? Either way, she was thankful.

* * *

"So, why haven't you told the whole world about Sting and me yet?" Lucy asked as she plopped down next to him in science class.

"I have my reasons," Natsu smirked.

"Oh really? And what would those be?" Lucy teased.

Natsu's face turned serious. "I don't want to hurt you, Luce. I know that this path is the best in the long run, but before that, it's going to be rocky. I don't want you to be mad at me. I mean, we're friends, right?"

Lucy laughed at the fact that she had just met Natsu and he already assumed they were friends. It's not that she didn't want to be his friend, she had just never met anyone as trusting as him.

"Yeah, I probably will be mad at you, Natsu. I mean, you won't only be hurting me, but Sting. I don't want him to be hurt just as much as you don't want me to be hurt."

"How did Sting rope you into this again?"

"He didn't 'rope' me into anything." Lucy sighed. "He told me that since a lot of girls are in love with him- which is true- and since they could be pretty vicious when jealous- also true- he wanted to keep me safe from them. And he told me that he was new to this whole commitment thing, and that he just wanted to make sure that I didn't get hurt." Lucy was proud of the fact that her boyfriend wanted to protect her, and she was certain that Natsu would approve of his motives.

"God, Lucy, are you stupid?! He's playing you! Anyone with brains could see that! He obviously gave you that idiotic excuse just so that he could make out with you and Minerva at the same time. I can't believe you didn't see it! I mean, how daft can you be?! Sting doesn't actually like you, you were just an easy target because you were vulnerable when you became friends!"

Lucy looked at Natsu with tears in her eyes. He instantly regretted every word. Lucy ran out of the classroom, mumbling something to the teacher about going to the bathroom on her way out.

* * *

"Lucy, do you want to walk home together?" Sting ran up to Lucy after class.

"I thought you didn't want to be seen in public with me. I get it, I'm not 'Little Miss Popular' like Minerva," Lucy said, obviously upset.

"Woah, where did you get that idea? Did Natsu put it in your head? I'm going to kill that guy. He just waltzes into school like he owns the place and then-"

Lucy cut off her boyfriend. "Natsu's not the problem, you are. We are. You're not keeping us a secret to protect me, are you?"

"N-no, but-"

"Then give me one good reason not to dump your sorry ass right here, right now."

"Lucy, you don't understand! I started going out with you because your dad asked me to, but when we got to know each other-"

"I don't want to hear it, Sting! I can't believe that you would go out with me if you didn't like me! And you did it just because you were forced to! God, I can't believe I didn't see it before! We're done!" The whole school was watching them by now, including Minerva. She was pissed. She looked like someone had just taken her part in the school play or something.

They all knew about their secret relationship now, or they could guess.

* * *

Lucy started walking home alone, but Natsu soon caught up with her.

"Hey, Luce! I heard that you broke up with Sting in front of everybody. And I'm really so-"

"I don't want to hear it, Natsu. You had no right to meddle in my love life. We may be friends, but I've only known you for a couple of days. You called me stupid, and daft! I'll have you know that even thinking that my boyfriend was a player was hard, let alone confronting him about it. Did you know that it turned out that my dad asked him to ask me out? You may have saved me a lot of heartache in the future, but what you can't save me from what I'm feeling right now. And the way you went about it…." Lucy entered her house, and closed the door in Natsu's face.

* * *

**So, Lucy broke up with Sting, eh? Do you think that will be the end of him? And Lucy's mad at Natsu too, huh? Please review to tell me what you think so far! Did I make a bunch of typos or grammatical errors? Or was it just that my writing sucked in general? I can take the heat, so please review, they mean so much more than a follow! Thanks for reading, and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Wanna hang out?

**CHAPTER SIX! Here it is! I hope you guys like it! So, RECAP! Lucy broke up with Sting because Natsu kept telling her that he wasn't a good guy, and she found out that her dad was the one that told Sting to go out with her. Also, she snapped at Natsu for meddling in her love life when they'd only known each other for a couple of days. Ok, that's about it! Enjoy! R&amp;R!**

* * *

Chapter Six

Lucy's P.O.V.

_Bzzz! Bzzz!_

My phone hadn't stopped ringing since I broke up with Sting and snapped at Natsu. I mean, I know Natsu was just trying to help and all, but he didn't have to call me stupid. Ok, alright, I'm being petty, but I'm a bit of an emotional reck at the moment. I just learned that the only reason that my boyfriend was dating me was because my dad asked him to, and he even tried to hide our relationship by having another. Then, I confronted and broke up with him. I have a right to be a little un-stable, right?

"Lucy, honey, please come downstairs and eat something!" My dad had been trying to talk to me since I got home. All I did was tell him that I knew about Sting, and ever since he's tried to be as nice to me as possible. I know he had good intentions, just like Natsu, but I can't bring myself to forgive either of them. Neither of them really had a right to meddle in my love life.

I turned up the music, and pulled the covers back over my head. My dad called me in sick, so I didn't have to worry about getting busted for skipping.

The doorbell rang, and I just groaned. I could hear my dad walk to the door and open it.

"Hi, Mr. Heartfilia! Nice to see you! Is Lucy home? I heard that she was sick, and I thought I'd bring her some soup." Levy, it must me, I would know that voice anywhere.

"Oh, and I brought some strawberry cake." And there was Erza, I should've known.

"Um, Lucy's in her room, but I don't know if she's up for visitors. She doesn't seem to want to talk to anyone," my dad said, trying to sound like he wasn't guilty.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Lu wants to see us!" I could hear Levy and Erza pounding up the stairs to my room. They knocked on the door, but came up before I had the chance to say anything.

Levy sat down on my bed next to me, and pulled the covers from my body. I shivered in the sudden cold.

"Hey!" I tried to get my covers back, but Levy had thrown them to the other side of the room, and I was too lazy to get them.

"What's up with you? I know you broke up with Sting, but shouldn't that be a reason for _him _to stay home? And Natsu seemed to be really upset at school this morning. You wouldn't have any ideas why, right?" Levy stared at me, and it felt like she was looking right into my soul. It was creepy AF.

Erza looked at my guilty expression and said,"Spill."

I told them what went down when I confronted Sting, and after that, when I snapped at Natsu. They tried to console me. They went between looking concerned for me, and looking like they were going to pummel someone.

"I'm going to kill Sting for playing you! And I'm going to kill your dad for asking him to date you!" Erza said with a demonic look in her eyes.

"Please, don't do anything." I looked over to Levy- she could be surprisingly devious when she wanted to. "Both of you. I don't want this to be a bigger deal than it already is, so don't touch Sting. And as for my dad, I love him, so I would really appreciate it if you would refrain from hurting him."

"Fine," they both sighed simultaneously.

Levy checked her watch. "Lu, I hate to do this, but we've got to get back to school. Do you want to come?" She looked at me hopefully.

"Yeah, actually, I think I could use a change of scenery. I really should forgive Natsu, he was only trying to help. And, I'm going to have to face Sting at some point."

* * *

"Luce!" Natsu jumped up and hugged me when he saw me walk into the room.

I smiled. "Ok, ok, you can let go now."

"No, I need to make up for the time I spent at school without you. It was _torture._"

I shrugged out of Natsu's embrace and looked him straight in the eyes. "Natsu, I'm really sorry for snapping at you like that yesterday. I didn't mean to take out my anger on you, but that's no excuse for how I acted. I'm really sorry."

Natsu looked almost confused at my apology. "Luce, you have nothing to be sorry for. I shouldn't have gotten involved in your personal business. You're right, we've only known each other for a few days, it's not like we're best friends or anything." Natsu looked up, hoping that she would correct him on that last part.

"Natsu, you did the right thing, I was just too blind to see it. Thank you. And, I want to be best friends, if that's ok with you." I was so scared that he would reject me. Why was I so worried?

"Of course, Luce! Hey, wanna hang out after our sports practices today? They end at the same time, I checked." He blushed as he said that, it was a rare sight. Natsu Dragneel NEVER blushed. I mean NEVER. I heard that one time, a guy pulled down Natsu's pants right in front of the girl Natsu had a crush on, and he stayed totally cool. I think her name was Lisanna, or something like that.

* * *

"I want you all to run the path in the woods five times! You can stop in between laps, but other than that, I don't want to see your feet stop moving! Now, get going, the longer you take, the longer your practice is!" Coach Laxus yelled at the cross-country team.

I was at the back of the pack to start, but all of us were going pretty slowly to pace ourselves. Soon enough, I started to speed up. People were yelling at me, saying that I would run out of fuel before the second lap, but they'd never seen me run deliveries the day before Thanksgiving. That was true cross-country.

I was the first one done with the five laps through the woods. Coach Laxus clapped a hand on my back, obviously happy with my time.

"You know, you could probably go all the way to nationals with that time? Are you up for competitions? Of course, they're optional, but it would be a shame if you didn't participate. You're the fastest runner I've seen in years. You've really got something here. Keep up your grades, and you're good to go."

I smiled up at my new coach. "Thanks, I think I will go to competition. It'll be fun! See you tomorrow, coach!" I yelled as I jogged to the locker room.

When I got to my locker, there was a note taped to the front.

It read:

_You made a fool out of him._

_Now, you're going to pay for it._

Whatever. I thought it was probably just one of those girls who was madly in love with Sting. It was to be expected, I mean they wouldn't just sit by while another girl yelled at him in front of the whole school.

* * *

"So, I thought we could go to this cool CD shop that I found. The prices are really good, and you can find some cool oldies. There are a bunch of vinyl records, too."Natsu smiled down at me as we walked through the gates of Fairy Tail Academy.

"Sounds great!" Then I realized,"What are your favorite bands?"

"Um, I basically like stuff that other people don't know about, but my favorite band is Imagine Dragons. Other than that, I like Coldplay, U2, Kings of Leon, and stuff like that. There's also Jack's Mannequin, and We the Kings. Oh, and The Cab!"

He did not just say that. "Are you serious?!"

He looked nervous, like the answer to this question decided whether he was going to live or die. "Um, I think so?"

"'Dark Blue' is my favorite song of all time! I like 'Swim' too! And We the Kings, U2, Coldplay, and The Can are my favorite bands. The Summer Set, too."

"I forgot about them! They're so good! I really like 'Lightning in a Bottle' by them."

"I like 'Chelsea' and 'Fuck U Over'." I scratched the back of my neck, feeling awkward about my choice in songs. "I mean, there's just something cool about the melody and counter- melody in those songs that I found so captivating," I scrambled for an explanation.

Natsu laughed. "You don't have to explain yourself, Luce. I like those songs too." He turned to face an old shop called "Lyra's CD Shop". A really nice woman in her early twenties ran the store. "Here it is."

* * *

**How was it? Natsu and Lucy are hanging out together after school at a CD shop! How romantic! JK, it's not that romantic, but music can get the love juices flowing... I'm not going to give anything away, you'll just have to read the next chapter. So, anyway, thank you guys so much for your reviews! I read them all, and it just meant so much to me! I can't believe you guys like my story that much! Thanks so much for your support! Please keep it up and review again! **


	7. Lyra's CD Shop

Chapter Seven

**Hey, peoples! How's life? Mine is kinda sucky at the moment. I'm about to start midterms... ugh. I have Latin and History tomorrow, and I'm about to fail. Jk, I should be fine... hopefully. Anyway, you don't care about my life, as boring as it is. So, here is chapter seven! I hope you enjoy! R&amp;R**

* * *

Normal P.O.V.

Lucy was looking through some old records and listening to music in a back corner of the shop. She was bobbing her head to the beat. Natsu smiled, loving how she was so into the music.

The lady on the other side of the cash register that Natsu was leaning against turned to him. "Is she your girlfriend, Natsu?"

Natsu blushed furiously. "Wh-what?! No, she's, um, just a friend," he stammered.

The lady raised her eyebrows knowingly. "Ok, sure, Natsu. I'm totally buying that. You've never brought a girl here before, not even Lisanna."

Even though Natsu hadn't moved to Magnolia until recently, he had visited many times, because this was where his mother's family lived. They came for holidays, and some summers.

"Honestly, Lyra, she's just a friend, that's all." Natsu then fully stood up and walked over to the blonde.

She took off her headphones and smiled up at him. "Hey, Natsu. I was listening to some U2. Wanna hear?" She held the headphones out to him.

"No, I'm good, thanks." Lucy just shrugged and went back to looking through the records.

Natsu put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "Luce, can we talk?"

"Um, sure. What do you want to talk about?" Lucy looked nervous, like he was going to say that he never wanted to see her again. Maybe that was what she was scared of, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that when someone said that they wanted to talk, it didn't tend to be a good thing.

"Well, I just wanted to say that I really admire you for confronting Sting." Natsu sighed. "And, I'm really sorry that he turned out to be such a jerk. I wish I'd been wrong about him."

Lucy smiled sweetly at the pinkette. "Thank you for saying that Natsu, but you have nothing to be sorry for. You helped me get out of a bad situation, and for that I will be forever grateful." Natsu let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in. "So, let's stop talking about depressing things, and listen to some music." Lucy picked up a record and placed it on the player. Then, she put the headphones next to one of Natsu's ears, and one of her own. "Here, listen to this."

* * *

"Come back soon!" Lyra shouted as the door jingled, closing behind them.

"So, what did you think? I've never brought anyone there before. It's sorta, my safe place, you know?" Natsu said almost uncomfortably as he walked her home.

"Really? Well, I thought it was great. Lyra was so nice, and they had such great music that I've been searching for FOREVER!" Lucy laughed as she held up her bag of new records and CDs.

"Yeah, I can see that," Natsu teased. He loved that Lucy felt like she found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. He loved that she was happy.

It was cold outside, because the sun had set, and Lucy tried to heat up her hands with her breath. She shivered, just looking at Natsu, who wasn't even wearing a coat.

"How are you not cold?" She was exasperated. It was freezing outside!

"Dunno, I've always been like that. I guess I'm warm blooded?" Then Natsu noticed the blonde with her chattering teeth next to him. He put his arm around her to warm her up,

His arm touching her was like a line of heat across her back. His blood seemed to pulse through her body and warm her up like hot chocolate on a winter day. It was sudden and unexpected, but welcomed. It made the rest of her body long for his touch.

Lucy shivered again, this time from his touch.

Natsu noticed and said,"You okay? Are you still cold?" He looked genuinely concerned.

Lucy laughed,"No, I'm fine, thanks though."

They came to a stop at Lucy's door. The light was on, which meant that her dad was already home. They hadn't talked much since her breakup. Not that they really talked before that. Ever since her mother, Layla, had died, it seemed like all ties between the father and daughter were cut. Layla had held them together, and without her, they were a shattered window of a family.

"I guess this is where I leave you, then?" Natsu said, turning to Lucy in front of her door.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

There was an awkward silence between them, as neither wanted to leave the other, yet didn't know what to do to fill the silence.

Suddenly, Lucy burst out laughing. Natsu looked like he'd seen a ghost. He had no idea why she was laughing, but it was contagious. Her laugh was sweet, and light. Soon enough, he was holding his stomach, uncontrollably laughing as well. His laugh was deeper, more hearty. They both let out a sigh as the fit came to an end.

Lucy smiled up at Natsu. "I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Thank you."

Natsu scratched the bak of his neck, he didn't know what to say to that. "Um, you're welcome?" He glanced towards her house. "I think I should go now, my parents will be expecting me to be home."

"Yeah, right." Lucy turned to walk inside her house. She turned back in one swift motion. "Goodnight, Natsu Dragneel," she said with a smile unlike any other.

"Goodnight, Lucy Heartfilia." Natsu grinned that magnificent grin that only he could pull off as he walked away form her house. To him, the night had been a success, he had gotten closer to Lucy,

To her, the night had been one of the happiest since she lost her mother.

* * *

**So, how was it? Be honest. I can take anything you can dish out. Thanks for all of your reviews so far. It means a lot to me. I know that I say that, like, every chapter, but I'm serious. It's so great to see your reviews and think that someone, somewhere, likes your story. They like what you've created, you know? So, please review, and the next chapter should be up soon enough!**


	8. Layla Heartfilia

**Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't updated recently... You could say that I've had writer's block and I still kinda do. So, any suggestions for future chapters? I have a very loose idea of what I want to happen, so... Anyway, here is the long-awaited chapter eight! Enjoy! R&amp;R**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Normal P.O.V.

_Flashback_

_"Lucy, honey, be careful! You don't want to ruin your pretty pink dress, do you?" Layla Heartfilia smiled down at her daughter as they baked sugar cookies._

_It was a beautiful summer day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Everything was peaceful, and happy._

_"Okay, mommy." Little Lucy jumped down from her stool near the counter and stood on her tip-toes near the sink to wash her hands. She reached for the faucet, but her little hands didn't quite touch the faucet._

_Layla smiled at her daughter, trying so hard to grow up. "Lucy, I don't think you're tall enough to reach on your own yet." Layla picked up the discarded stool and set it down in front of the sink. "There. Now, wash your hands while I put these in the oven. Then we'll get everything ready for the picnic."_

_"Yes, mommy!"_

* * *

_The second they reached the park not far from their house, Lucy broke out in a run._

_"Slow down, sweetie! You don't want to trip and fall!" Layla called after her far too brave little girl._

_A man let out a chuckle next to Layla. "You're never going to tame her wild spirit. She's too much like you."_

_Layla jumped. "Oh! I didn't know you were here already, Jude. Let's lay down the blanket near the other families. I'm sure the activities will begin shortly._

_And, soon enough, the whole Heartfilia family was running around the park, participating in relay races where you can't drop the egg balanced on the end of a spoon held by your mouth, beanbag races, and even frisbee. They all had a blast. Lucy couldn't stop smiling, and her loving parents were happy to see her that way._

_The sky was getting dark, and many of the families were packing up to go home._

_Jude put a hand on his daughter's small back. "Luce, we should get going. We want to be home in time to eat ice cream before bed, right?"_

_Lucy nodded her head fervently. With that, her parents couldn't believe her will to get home. She pulled her father all the way back to their big yellow house. Jude claimed that he bought it because it was the same color as the hair of his two favorite people._

_Layla unlocked the door, and Lucy pushed past to run to the kitchen. That girl had way too much energy. Jude kissed his wife as he walked inside, after his daughter who was currently trying her best to pull the fridge door open._

_Just an hour later, Jude and Layla were tucking Lucy into bed. They had finished their ice cream, read at least five picture books, and Layla had sung a few lullabies._

_Jude flicked off the light just before closing the door, and turning to his wife. He kissed her, and they walked downstairs to watch TV._

_When they walked by the kitchen counter, where the mail lay, Layla gave Jude a stern look._

_"Honey, we have to pay the electric bill before they shut off the power again. Your grocery store," Jude gave her a look, he hated that term, preferring "market","isn't paying the bills. You need to find a way to make it work, or I'll have to get a job."_

_"But, what would we do with Lucy during the day? She's not old enough for a full day of school yet." Jude wrinkled his brow, trying to find a way out of the hole he'd dug himself in._

_"I-I don't know. I don't know. We're going to have to make this work."_

_Jude reached for Layla, to pull her into a kiss and calm her down, but she shrugged him off._

_Sighing, Jude said,"Maybe I can close up the market." Layla glared at him. "Get a more practical job, you know? That way I can pay the bills, and you can stay home during the day with Lucy."_

_"No, you will not close down the market. It's your dream! I won't let you give that up."_

_"A man has to make sacrifices for his family. It's fine, I want you to be able to stay home with Lucy. She needs her mother here for her."_

_"No! That's not an option! We're not at the point where you have to make any sacrifices like that. I won't let you close the market."_

_"But, Layla, it would solve all of our problems."_

_"So, what? You _want _to close the market? To give up your dream?"_

_"No, of course not-"_

_"Good. Then we're not closing the market."_

_"But-"_

_"But what?! What can you possibly say to argue with me right now?! I'm not letting you give up your dream! Not for me, not for anyone! Not when it's not needed!"_

_"Layla, calm down. Please, just think about this. My dream isn't important." Jude reached to rub her arm, but Layla pulled away._

_"Yes it is! I wish you would just realize that already!"_

_There was a long silence. It was only broken when Layla grabbed her coat and opened the door to walk outside._

_"Where are you going, honey?" Jude asked, trying not to skate on thin ice._

_"To think. You know, like you wanted." She left without another word. Jude just didn't understand-why did she have to get so heated up about such little things. He figured it was just her nature, her need to help everyone with everything, and never give up._

_As Layla walked, she noticed a van going pretty slowly just behind her. She glanced back every few seconds. When the van was still tailing her, she broke out in a run. Running, she looked back again to see if she had lost it, and sighed, realizing that the van was gone. She turned around again, only to find a man in front of her. She tried to scream, but she couldn't get it out of her throat before she was overwhelmed with a sickly sweet scent, and blacked out. Two more men jumped out of the van, now on the other side of where Layla stood in the first man's arms. The three men picked Layla up together, and carried her into the van._

* * *

_She was never seen again. The police investigated for six months, gave up, and announced her dead, even though they had no real idea what happened to her. Jude couldn't bear to live in the big yellow house anymore, so he and Lucy moved into a small brown one. He took up drinking, and barely spoke a word to his daughter. That is, when he bothered to be around her. He got better after a couple of years, but he and Lucy still didn't have the relationship that they did before._

* * *

**How was it? Sorry for the no-NaLu flashback chapter. I just wanted to go more into detail about what happened to Layla, and Lucy's current situation with her father. So, sorry again for the no-NaLu chapter. Again, if you have any ideas for a future chapter, please let me know! I'm totally open to suggestion. Please review, and I'll post chapter nine as soon as I can!**


	9. I can't bear to see you without a smile

**How's life? I finally came out with chapter nine, I know! Sorry it took a while again. I was having this problem with the document manager thingy, so I had to delete the first chapter (off of the doc manager) and replace it with this one. Anyways, you probably just care about the chapter, so here you go! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Normal P.O.V.

Lucy stood in the middle of the dank cemetery. The whole day was dreary, as if reflecting her mood. She tried to sniff away the tears, but to no avail. It was the anniversary of the day that her mother had been kidnapped. As an act of some sort of closure, Lucy and her father had buried a coffin filled to the brim with some of her mother's favorite things, and had the tombstone engraved.

If Lucy had her way, she would be spending this day with her father, but he was mourning in his own way. She knew that, but she still resented the fact that he didn't feel the need to check on her. That he didn't stop to think about her feelings. The only time he had lately, it'd been because he messed up and he cared just enough to not want her mad at him.

She sighed as it started to rain. As she started to walk away from her mother's make-do grave, she realized that although her father may not show it in the same way as others, he loved her. She thought about how he would still pack her lunches for school, and make sure that she had time off from working at the market. He was one of those people that did the little things. She was grateful for that, she just wished that her mother was still there to make her realize this sooner.

She wished that her mother was there for so many other things, too. She wished that her mother could've seen her off to her first day of school, and helped her when she had her first crush. She wished that her mother gave her her first piece of real jewelry, and her first makeup kit. That her mother would've made her attend her first homecoming, instead of skipping out to work at the market. She wanted her mother to meet Natsu, this amazing boy that had made her realize so many things, and come to so many conclusions. But, most of all, she wished that her mother could just hug her one more time. Those hugs used to reassure her so much as a child, but they were gone forever.

"Mama," Lucy whispered.

* * *

"Hey, Pops! I'm gonna go pick up our order from the market!" Natsu ripped off his server's apron. He had been working in his family's new diner all day, and he wanted a bit of a break. Not to mention that they were running low on eggs, considering that they served breakfast all day, and the eggs benedict was pretty popular. And, of course, there was the obvious reason as to why he wanted to go to the market- he wanted to see Lucy.

Just as he crossed the street to the market, he noticed Lucy walking in the back entrance. It occurred to him that it was odd, considering how she was almost always there, when she wasn't at school. Shrugging it off, he walked inside and up to the counter.

He rang the bell, and heard someone running from the back room to help.

"Sorry, I just got it," Lucy said as she tied her apron, before looking up to see who it was. When she did, she blushed.

"No problem, I haven't been waiting long." Natsu smiled at how flustered she was at the sight of him. But, just as quickly as the blush appeared, it faded from her cheeks. It seemed to him that she looked like she'd just remembered something awful. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" She hadn't been paying attention. When it dawned on her what he'd said, she replied,"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. So, um, what do you need?"

Natsu looked at her skeptically. He knew that something was up. "I just came to get the order that my dad put in for the diner."

"Yeah, sure, I'll be right back," Lucy said, turning to leave and check on the order. As she did, she tripped over a bag of flour thanks to her not paying attention again, but just as she was falling face-first, she felt strong arms around her waist.

Natsu pulled Lucy back up to her feet, but didn't let go. He looked her right in the eyes, while his were concerned but stern.

"What's wrong, Luce? And don't tell me that you're fine, because I know that you're not."

Lucy looked at her feet. "Nothing's wrong," she mumbled.

"Bullshit. I call bullshit on that." Natsu sighed, and loosened his grip a little. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"It's just-" Lucy stopped herself. It was just so hard to get the words out of her mouth.

"Just?" Natsu encouraged.

"It's, um, uh-"

"It's what, Lucy?" he coaxed.

"It's the anniversary of the day my mother was kidnapped!" Lucy looked shocked. She couldn't believe that she had just said that. She dared a look in Natsu's direction, only to find him dumbfounded. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes at her confession, so she broke free of the pinkette's grasp and ran to the back room to get his order.

By the time that she'd come back, Natsu had gotten a hold on himself, and come to terms with what the blonde had said. He started to understand why her father was never home when he dropped Lucy off at her house, and why she had just come to work.

"That'll be $176.94," Lucy said, when she finished ringing up the total.

"Lucy-" Natsu started.

"It's okay, Natsu," Lucy cut off. "I know what you're thinking. Just forget about it. It happened a long time ago, nothing to be worried about."

"I can't forget, Lucy."

"What?"

"I can't forget anything that you say to me, Lucy. Especially not this. And this is something to be worried about. I worry about you, Lucy. And, I want you to know that I'm here for you when you need me. You can come to me with anything, even if it's about me. You can tell me when you feel sad about this, or anything else, and I'll do my best to help cheer you up, because I can't bear to see you without a smile on your face. I just can't bear it."

"Natsu." Lucy ran around the counter and jumped up to hug the pinkette. He was surprised at first, but he put his warm arounds her small body, and held her tight as she cried into his shoulder.

"She never came home, Natsu! She went out for a walk, and she never came home!" Lucy sobbed.

"Shh, I know, I know." Natsu rubbed her back in circles to comfort her.

At last, she had shed her last tear, and she turned her head to look up to Natsu. She hadn't noticed at first, but he had been crying too.

"Why were you crying?" she asked.

"Because you were."

* * *

**Thoughts? I tried to put in a little NaLu for you. Oh, who am I kidding? I enjoyed that part, too. I mean, I'm not saying that you necessarily enjoyed the chapter or anything- oh, I just need to shut up. Seriously, when will I learn to stop talking? Or should I have said writing? Whatever, I hope you liked it, and I'll have chapter ten out when I can.**


	10. Homecoming?

**Hey, peoples! How's life goin'? So, the poll was a huge success. The thing is, there wasn't one clear winner, so I decided to incorporate two of the ideas into this chapter. Read to find out which ones were chosen!**

* * *

Chapter Ten

Lucy's P.O.V.

"Miss Heartfilia! Miss Heartfilia!" I could vaguely hear the words through the grogginess of sleep. Once I fully registered what was going on, my head shot up.

"Huh? What?" I said, looking around the room. I had fallen asleep in class. Again. Lately I'd been up till all hours trying to get the store ready for Homecoming. I know, it's a market, what does that have to do with Homecoming? Well, Homecoming means dates, and dates mean dinner, and dinner means food, and food means restaurants, and restaurants mean cooking, and cooking means ingredients, and ingredients mean the market. It's a pretty busy time of year for us, especially because I'm the one who's basically running everything- my dad has been out of it since the anniversary of my mom's kidnapping.

"Would you like to answer my question, Miss Heartfilia? Or am I interrupting your beauty sleep?" I looked around for help from anyone. I turned to Natsu, who was sitting next to me. He quickly scribbled something on his notebook pushed it ever so slightly towards me. It said:

_Q- What is the quadratic formula?_

I looked at Natsu, hopefully portraying my thanks to him. Then I glance up at Mr. Nikon, my math teacher. He had a condescending smile on his face, as if to say, "This is what happens when you stupid teenagers don't care about school."

I stood up and smiled at Mr. Nikon. He looked surprised to see me actually happy about this. "Well, Mr. Nikon," I started," would you like me to recite the quadratic formula, or tell you how it is used? I could do both, if you want."

Mr. Nikon was obviously upset that I had one-upped him. "A recitation will suffice," he said as he pushed up his glasses.

"The quadratic formula says that x equals -b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac all over 2a." I sat back down, please that I'd saved myself. Correction, Natsu had saved me. I looked over to him again, hoping to catch his eye so that I could thank him, but he was furiously writing something in his notebook.

* * *

Finally, lunch. That period could not come soon enough. I was starving. I grabbed everything that looked good in the lunch line, paid, and sat down at my usual table with the squad.

The only problem was, the squad wasn't there. I looked around the crowded cafeteria, but I couldn't find any of them. Not Levy, not Erza, not even Natsu, who was always excited to eat. Something was up, and I was going to find out what that something was- just as soon as I ate my lunch.

* * *

"Listen up, everyone! The state preliminaries are coming up! I need you all to be in your best shape. This is the time to put in some extra effort. Run whenever and wherever you can! At the end of practice, I will give you all the new practice schedule. It will seem like a lot at first, but it's worth it. So, all have left to say is; DO YOU WANT THIS?!" Coach Laxus yelled. We all screamed "yes". "AND ARE YOU READY?!" Another "yes." "THEN GO GIVE ME FIVE LAPS AROUND THE SCHOOL!"

By the end of practice, we were all tired. We sat on the ground around Coach.

"Alright, guys, that was a good practice! Nice effort out there!" Coach attempted to rally us, but we were all far too tired to be excited. "Um, anyway, there is one more announcement I would like to make." Now we were interested. "I will be posting who is participating in which race in the preliminaries outside the locker rooms. Be sure to check before you leave."

We may have been exhausted, but we found enough strength to run to the locker rooms and change as quickly as possible. I don't think I've put on a pair of skinny jeans that quickly since that evening. Once fully dressed, I grabbed my backpack, and jogged to the door. Just outside, pinned to the clipboard, was the list of names and races. The A race was for the best of us, the B, the good ones, the C the okay ones, and so on. The list read:

_JAKE- RACE B_

_ULTEAR- RACE A_

_MINERVA- RACE A_

_JACK- RACE C_

_GRACE- RACE B_

_THOMAS- RACE D_

_BEN- RACE A_

_ALLY- RACE C_

_SALLY- RACE D_

_MERUDY- RACE B_

I read the list over and over again, but my name wasn't there. I saw Coach walking by, so I ran up to him.

"Coach, why aren't I on the list?" I was frantic to get an answer.

"Calm down, Lucy," he said, looking slightly amused.

"Am I not participating? Am I not good enough, or something? Why aren't I on the list?!" By this time, I was panting from trying to yell and keep up with Coach's fast pace at the same time.

Coach stopped walking and turned to me. "Lucy, you're not on the list because you're too good. I want to give the others a chance to win.'

"But-" I started.

"But, that isn't fair to you?" Coach guessed. I nodded. "Well, that's why I entered you in a different race. The official name for it is The 100. Basically, all over the country, hundreds of student athletes will be competing in the prelims for this thing. It's the best of the best. Then, the best 100 runners will move on to the semifinal, and from there, the best 10 will make it to the finals. The winner gets to meet the president, and they get a full ride to the college of their choice."

"Wow."

"Yeah, 'wow' is right." He turned serious for a second. "You're going to have to train extremely hard from now on, got it?"

"Got it, Coach!"

* * *

I walked over to the boys' locker room to wait for Natsu. He and I had practice on the same days, so we always walked home together.

Rogue walked out, and gave me a questioning look. "What are you doing here Lucy?"

"What do you mean? You know Natsu and I always walk home together."

"I thought you knew," he muttered under his breath. "Um, well, Natsu didn't come to practice today."

Why the hell did he miss practice? He never missed practice! Damn it, Natsu, why did you have to miss practice.

"Oh, um, okay. Well, I guess I'll walk home with Erza and Gray, then." Erza played field hockey, and Gray was on the soccer team.

"They weren't in practice either."

"Do you want me to walk you home, Lucy?" Sting. Why did he have to show up at exactly the wrong moment- when I was upset that Natsu bailed on practice and neglected to tell me.

I turned around to face him. "No, Sting," I smiled," I'm fine, thanks. I'd rather be eaten by a pack of wild dogs." I walked away before he could respond.

* * *

As I walked home, I wondered why none of my friends had been at lunch… or practice. What was going on with them? I thought about all of the possible reasons as to why they wouldn't be around, but none of them made any real sense. Maybe they were ignoring me or something. But why would they do that? Had I done something wrong? I didn't remember doing anything mean or offensive.

When I got to the block that my house was on, I saw something colorful flash by. I stopped, and back-tracked. It was a sign, but all it said was "H". I almost screamed when someone grabbed my hand.

"Lu!" Levy jumped on me, and gave me the biggest hug ever.

"Levy, where have you been all day? And what about everyone else?"

Levy smiled. "Oh, they've been busy. We all have."

"Busy doing what?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing much." Her tone was coy.

We kept walking towards my house, and I filled her in on my day, when I saw another sign. This one read "O".

"Levy."

"What?" she asked, trying to keep a giggle in.

"Do you have any idea what these signs are for?"

"None at all," Levy said.

I started to get in interrogation mode, but before I could reply, Levy took off running towards my house. I chased after her, and all the while, we kept passing signs. The next one was a "M", then an "E", then a "C", next an "O", followed by another "M", and then an "I", shortly after a "N", and finally, a "G". The last letter was standing right in front of my house. In the driveway stood Erza, Jellal, Levy- who was now out of breath-, Gray, and even Gajeel. Lastly, I spotted Natsu. He was standing at the front of the group, and he was holding a sign that said "?" in his hands. I started to put the pieces together, and I gasped.

Natsu walked up to me, looking happy but extremely nervous. "Luce, I really like you. And I would love to spend my first Homecoming at Fairy Tail High School with you."

"I-I don't know what to say," I stuttered.

"Before you decide, I want you to listen. I made a list of all the reasons that you should go to Homecoming with me." He took a deep, shaky breath. "Number one, SALMON and yellow go well together. Number two, I know that you like food, so I'll treat you to dinner. Number three, we like the same music. Number four, we're both great athletes. Number five, you smell good- like vanilla, and I smell like peppermint, and I think they would make a good combination. Number six, you own a market, and my diner gets all of their ingredients from your market, so it'll be really awkward if you say no. Number seven, you're like the sun, and I love fire. Number eight, I'm always happy when you're around. Number nine, from the first time I saw you, I knew I would fall in love with you. Number ten, I'm in love with you." He let out a sigh, as if he'd been anticipating this moment for months. "So, Lucy- no, Luce, will you give me the honor of being your date to Homecoming?" He looked at me with worried eyes.

My palms were starting to sweat, and I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Finally, I got up the courage to speak.

"Natsu Dragneel, I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

**I don't know about you, but I'm so excited for them to go to Homecoming together! It's going to be a school dance to remember, I'll tell you that much. (I have so much planned.) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be coming you ASAP. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Homecoming

**Sooo, here it is! The big chapter! HOMECOMING! I loved writing this one, so I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Lucy's P.O.V.

I looked in the mirror for probably the hundredth time that night. The simple strapless pink dress complemented my curves perfectly. I paired it with a pair of white wedges and big dangly earrings. My makeup was pretty natural-looking, with light blush and eyeshadow, and a light sheen of pink gloss over my lips.

The doorbell rang, and my father answered it. I could hear them downstairs.

"You must be Natsu?" my dad asked.

"Yes, sir." Natsu sound almost, nervous? No, that couldn't be. The only time I'd ever seen him nervous was when he asked me out. The rest of the week ended in a blur of dress shops, cosmetic stores, and lots of girl-time talking about our respective dates. Levy ended up with Gajeel (totally saw that coming), and Erza with Jellal (I saw that coming too).

I was walking downstairs when my father asked,"What are your plans for this evening?"

I butted in before Natsu could get a word out. Neither of them had noticed me descending the stairs, and they both turned to stare as I said,"Natsu is taking me to dinner, and then we are going to the Homecoming dance at the high school. After that, we might go over to Erza's for the after-party- if we feel like it. If not, Natsu will take me home. He will be a gentleman the whole time, so there is no need to worry."

They both gaped at me like I'd grown another head, I chuckled at their expressions.

"L-Luce, you look…" Natsu stumbled.

My father seemed at a similar loss for words.

"I guess we should be going, then." I grabbed Natsu before either of them could protest, and rushed him out of the door.

Outside, a limo waited to take us to dinner. I looked over at Natsu, who was obviously pleased with himself.

"I said not to get a limo, stupid," I sighed.

"I wanted to go all-out for my first date with you." I blushed at his words, but hoped the dark of night was enough to mask it.

* * *

"We're going to split a large cheese pizza," Natsu said as he handed his menu back to the server.

I had to admit, when Natsu asked me to dinner, I was expecting something a little nicer than the local pizza place. Oh well, it was Natsu- it was sweet in it's own way. Not to mention that I loved pizza.

"So…?" I said, trying to get a conversation started.

"So…"

"Okay, this is getting really awkward, really fast. We need something to talk about." I looked around the room for inspiration. "Oh! Why don't we make up dialogue for what the other people are saying." Nasty gave me a weird look. "Don't judge," I scolded. "For example, I think that man over there- the one fighting with the waiter- is saying that he'll eat the mushrooms, but he won't eat the bologna, and that the waiter needs to stick a phone in his ear."

Natsu burst out laughing. We got some weird looks, but whatever- we were only two teenagers dressed in formal clothes at a family pizza restaurant laughing hysterically, what could be more normal?

"My turn," Natsu said, determined to one-up me. "Okay, got it. That woman over there, the one with the baby, she's saying that she really needs a beet to beat all of the apricots in the world because they're making the baby cry- you know, since babies hate all orange things-" I gave Natsu a skeptical look, which he shrugged off. "and that the baby needs to shut the flubber up. Oh, and she just said that her sister needs to go get herself a sewing machine to marry."

It was my turn to crack up.

The rest of our time at dinner, we spent making up odd situations for why the waiters needed the money from working there. It was quite interesting.

* * *

"Wow." Natsu and I had just stepped through the gym doors, into what seemed to be a whole other world. The room was decorated with tons of balloons, streamers, and probably hundreds of glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. There was a photo booth in the corner, and tables of to the sides to sit down. The refreshment stand was next to the door, manned by one of the chaperones. Music was blasting from speakers mounted on the stage, on either side of the DJ, and high schoolers were dancing in every way imaginable in the middle of the floor.

Natsu turned to me just as a slow song came on.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, holding out his hand for me to take. I grabbed it, and we stepped onto the dance floor. My hands were on his shoulders, and his were on the small of my back. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I smiled down at me.

"W-what?" I asked self-consciously.

"You're just so beautiful." More blushing on my part. Why did he have to be such a flirt?

"You don't look so bad yourself," I replied, trying to be nice and say something to fill the gap at the same time. But it was true, he did look good. That suit could've been made for him, even though I knew he was probably too lazy to actually get a suit made for him.

"Thanks," he chuckled.

As the song ended, we stepped back and I sat down at one of the tables along the edge of the room.

"I'll go get us some drinks," Natsu offered.

"Thanks," I said in reply, but he was already gone.

Looking around the room, I smiled when I saw Levy blushing as she tried to reach her hands up to Gajeel's shoulders, and Erza stepping all over Jellal's feet. I even saw Julia and Gray dancing together. They didn't come together, but I just knew that they would find each other somehow- everyone knew that they liked each other.

"Lucy!" I looked in the direction that my name was called.

Ultear was half running, half walking towards me. When she finally reached where I was sitting, I was standing up, ready to hear what she had to say.

"Lucy, it's bad."

"What's bad, Ultear?"

"Natsu and Sting, they're in the hall by the water fountain, fighting over you."

"Thanks!" I shouted as I ran as quickly as I could in heels. What the hell were they thinking- fighting at a school dance? And why would they fight over me? Sting didn't even like me.

I got to the water fountain, but there was nobody there. I looked around a bit, but there were no signs of a fight, either. I heard someone walking up behind me and turned to see who it was.

"He's not here. It was a lie, there was no fight. You really are stupid, Lucy." Minerva.

"What do you want, Minerva? You're free to be with Sting all you want, I have Natsu. I'm not a threat anymore."

"Oh, sweetie," she smiled maniacally,"you were never a threat. Sting never liked you, don't you get that? No, I'm here because you made him look like an idiot in front of the whole school. You made _me _look like an idiot. That is something that I don't think I can ever forgive."

"Calm down, Minerva. No one really cares about what happened between you, Sting, and me."

I guess that was the wrong thing to say, because her face turned stone cold.

"Ultear! Merudy!" Minerva called over her shoulder. Both Ultear and Minerva appeared within seconds right behind her. Minerva turned to them for a second, whispered something in their ears, and stepped back.

"Looks like you need to remember your place at this school, Fruit Girl," Ultear said.

"I'm sorry to do this to you Lucy- not." Merudy smirked.

"I-I thought we were friends. We run together."

"We're far from friends. We were the best of the best on the track team, until you came along and decided to join. I should've gotten that spot in The 100, not you. I deserve it." Ultear said menacingly.

"So, what are you going to do? Beat me up? You really think that's going to make you feel better? You're pathetic." I started to walk away, when Ultear grabbed my arm.

"Not so fast. You see, we're only going to start by beating you up. Then, when you can't fight back, we're going to make sure that Natsu never wants to speak to you again."

My blood ran cold. No, they couldn't take Natsu away. I loved him. He loved me. He wouldn't believe whatever stunt they were going to pull, right?

_Slap!_ I fell on the floor from the impact. Being on the floor only made it easier for them, though. They kicked me until I spit up blood, then they pulled me up by my hair and punched me until my face was black and blue. I could barely breathe by the time the world went black.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

When I went back to the table Lucy had been sitting at, she wasn't there. I searched the whole gym, but I couldn't find her, and I was kind of panicking. I tried calling her on her cell, but it just went to voicemail. I decided I should look through the halls- maybe she'd gone to the bathroom and I would catch her on her way back.

I looked in just about every nook and cranny before I heard a voice in one of the classrooms. I recognized it instantly- Sting.

"Lucy, I thought that you liked Natsu now."

I heard another muffled voice which I assumed was Lucy, but I couldn't make out what she said. I walked over to the door to see Sting's back to me, and Lucy was sitting in front of him. I couldn't see her face clearly in the lighting, but something looked off about her.

"Are you sure you're okay with cheating? It's pretty nasty business." Sting again. Then, in reply, the muffled voice.

All of the sudden, Lucy seemed to lean in to Sting and they started making out. It hurt to watch, and I felt like I was going to puke. I walked away with tears in my eyes. I kept walking right out of the building, out to the limo, and rode it all the way home- Lucy could get a ride from Sting.

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

I woke up on the floor. Everything hurt. I took in my surroundings to find that I was still at school. With what little strength I had left, I stood up and walked out of the classroom. The gym lights were off, so the dance must've ended. I guessed that Natsu had left me.

Suddenly, the night's events came back to me. They were planning to do something to make Natsu hate me. Looked like it worked. Hot tears streamed down my face as I pulled off my uncomfortable shoes and began the walk home.

* * *

**Lots of drama! Will Natsu listen to what Lucy has to say about the night? Will Lucy even bother to try? I don't even know yet... jk, yes I do. I know everything! Lol, no I don't. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please continue to read my story and review. Thanks!**


	12. Until the world floated away

**So, okay, this isn't my longest chapter, but I personally think it's really good. I guess you'll just have to read to find out what happens, but... it's pretty good. Not to be too cocky or anything ;) I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Lucy's P.O.V.

Nobody would talk to me. I tried talking to them all- Erza, Levy, Cana, Jellal, Gray, even Gajeel. And… Natsu. Most of them wouldn't even look my way. But Natsu...whenever I was around, I could see the pain in his eyes. He'd never hear me out. It hurt to do anything anymore.

My dad made me stay home until my bruises and cuts were healed, so it's not like they would believe me anyway.

I walked to the market after school, because I didn't have practice that day. I saw Natsu leave school with Erza. They seemed to be getting pretty close. I sighed, it wasn't like I thought that they liked each other like that, I just, I just wanted to be the one there, laughing with that pink-haired idiot.

No. I didn't deserve to call him an idiot. I mean, it was my fault that he was in all that pain. Even if I didn't do it directly, I made enemies and he got caught in the cross-fire.

I hated it. I hated everything. I hated myself.

The world had lost it's color without Natsu around. I could no longer look at anything pink, because it reminded me of everything I'd done to him. Normally, I would listen to some music and think about what I should do, but I couldn't even do that. Music reminded me of him, too.

I held back tears as I entered the market through the employee entrance. I clocked in and pulled on my apron, walking slowly to the cash register. I relieved the other girl working there, and took her spot.

It was getting pretty dull, just sitting there, scanning food and swiping credit cards. I think I might've fallen asleep if I hadn't felt a hand on my shoulder. Dad.

"Hey," I said, kind of monotone, since I wasn't really in the mood to talk to him.

"Hey?" he returned skeptically. "So, I was wondering if you could make a delivery for me?"

"Yes!" I practically yelled and jumped up and down. I was so bored of manning the register.

"Okay, okay, calm down, you're going to scare off the customers." He sighed as I settled down. "The boxes are in the back, and so is the delivery bike." He handed me the keys to the bike lock as I handed him my apron.

When I got to the back, I looked at the boxes to see where I was supposed to deliver them. Dragon Diner, A.K.A. Natsu's diner.

* * *

I pushed my feet to pedal backwards to break the bike as I hopped off. Locking the bike to a pole outside the diner, I grabbed the boxes of ingredients and hauled them over to the employee entrance. I rang the bell, praying that Igneel would open the door.

No such luck.

Natsu looked at me with cold eyes, and I swear, I almost broke down right then and there.

Biting back the tears, I said,"Where do you want me to put these?" My voice cracked on "you".

"I can take them. Here's the money." He turned to leave when I grabbed the hem of his shirt. His eyes were wide as I turned again to face me.

"Natsu, please, just hear me-"

"There's nothing you can say, Lucy. You go around calling other people pathetic for bullying you, well maybe there was a reason! How do I know you didn't lie about the whole thing? Huh? How do I know that you didn't lie about everything?"

"But, Natsu, it's not what you think. I don't know what you saw, but-"

"I saw you _cheating on me, _Lucy."

"I didn't do that! They staged the whole thing! They beat me up and then-"

"Yeah, I'm sure you've rehearsed a great story, but I'm just done with it. You're the pathetic one. And you know what? If someone did really beat you up, I don't blame them."

He slammed the door in my face.

I fell to my knees on the pavement and started bawling into my hands.

I heard someone laughing behind me.

"Wow, so you really tried to talk to him. He's right, you are pathetic. No, wait, that's not the right word. How about we try 'bitch' on for size? Yeah, that seems to fit." Erza was standing above me, looking down with an amused expression.

I started crying again, and she picked me up from my collar, lifting me off the ground.

"Don't ever try to talk to him again, got it?" she whispered in my ear.

I nodded.

She dropped me, and walked inside, leaving me alone. I walked over to my bike and climbed on with shaky hands.

I went right past the market. Past my house. Past my school. Past Lyra's CD shop.

Suddenly, everything was a blur of honking cars, and flashing lights. Until the world just…floated away.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I was sitting in my room crying when someone knocked on the door. I muffled a quiet,"Go away," but they didn't listen. The door creaked open to reveal a certain redhead looking down at me in concern.

She sat down on the floor next to me and started rubbing my back in slow circles.

Once I was done crying, she looked at me to start talking.

I shook my head, so she started talking instead. "Just forget about that bitch. She's not worth your time. Everything that she told you, that she told all of us, was probably just a bunch of lies. I mean, seriously? Her mom was kidnapped? I bet her mom just walked out on her sad excuse for a daught-"

I stood up and looked down at Erza. "Stop. Just stop. I'll admit that she is a bit of a bitch, but that doesn't mean that she lied about her mom. I could see it, I could see it in her eyes. She told the truth."

I started thinking about how Lucy had looked when she delivered our ingredients just an hour or so before. Her eyes. They looked the same as when she told me about her mom. She was telling the truth.

I started grinning like an idiot, because Lucy was telling the truth. Then I started getting angry, because that meant that someone had really beaten up. Then I felt guilty as I realized that she had done nothing wrong.

"I, um, I have to go!" I yelled back to Erza as I ran downstairs and out the door. I had to get to Lucy before. Just before. I wasn't really what "before" meant at the moment. Maybe I meant that I had to get to her before she really started to hate me, or before any feelings towards me washed away completely. At the time, I had no idea what "before" really meant.

* * *

**What did you think? Good? Bad? Just okay? I think you can guess what happened to Lucy, but you still don't know how bad it is. *Maniacal laugh* That's for me to know, and for you to read when I post the next chapter.**


	13. My eyes wouldn't open

**Hi! You probably just want to read the chapter, so I'll get out of your way. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Normal P.O.V.

_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

Natsu sat next to the bed, holding her hand. His eyes were filled with the few tears he had yet to shed.

She was lying there, lifeless. Her body cold. Her eyes were shut, and nobody knew if they would open again.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

The only way that I knew that she was alive was the constant beeping of the heart monitor. The only color that her body held on to were the bruises. There were so many bruises and bumps. But, the worst was that she might not come back. She might never wake up. I might never see those bright brown orbs filled with happiness again. She might never say my name again. I might lose her.

Sobs racked my body as I thought of the worst. Tears fell onto her hand that I was holding. I sniffled as I felt a warm hand on my back.

"She'll be okay," Jude said. "I just know it. Lucy-she's a fighter. She has been her whole life. She'll be okay." He smiled slightly as he left the room again.

I thought about all the times that Lucy had shown strength. When others called her names, and pushed her down. When she watched the boy she loved kiss another girl. When she broke up with that boy. When she tried to talk to everyone after Homecoming. When she talked to me, just days before. And, I knew in my heart, she had shown strength that night at Homecoming, I just wasn't there to see it.

I didn't want her to go, to leave. I couldn't live without the girl with sunshine hair. The girl with the chocolate eyes. The girl that constantly smelled like vanilla and strawberries, and brightened everybody's day.

I couldn't smile without her.

I couldn't laugh without her.

I couldn't see without her.

I couldn't hear without her.

I couldn't move without her.

I couldn't love without her.

* * *

Levy's P.O.V.

I could see Natsu through the window, holding Lucy's hand. He had fallen asleep next to her. I smiled seeing how much he loved her.

I felt guilty about what had happened. When Lucy tried to talk to me earlier that week, I wanted to talk back, but I thought that I would lose everyone else if I did. I was a coward. A stupid coward, and if I had just talked to her, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe Lucy would be awake, and happy. But now, she might never be happy, or awake, again.

Taking a deep breath, I walked into the room, and shook Natsu's shoulder. Groggily, he looked up at me. I gave him a small smile as he started to wake up.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I came to see Lucy." Another deep breath. "Natsu, I think there's more to what happened at Homecoming. Lucy wouldn't-"

"I know Levy," he sighed. "I figured that out right before," he gestured at Lucy's broken form.

I cleared my throat to keep it from cracking. "Why, um, why don't you go home, get something to eat, and take a shower. I'll stay here with her."

Natsu started to protest, but before he could get the words out, I had pushed him out the door, and locked it. I took his place next to Lucy.

"Hey, Lu. I'm really sorry."

* * *

Erza's P.O.V.

I walked through the white, sterile halls of the hospital. I saw Natsu leaving Lucy's room. Something had been up with him, that was the only reason I'd gone. I was still pissed at Lucy for what she had done. I mean, I never thought in a million years that Lucy would do such a thing, but Natsu saw it with his own eyes.

"Why were you in there?" I asked as I approached the pinkette.

He looked up at me with wild eyes. "Because Lucy's hurt, and she's in there."

"But what about what she did to you? She cheated on you! You saw her!" No, he couldn't be forgiving her now. Not after I yelled at her. Not after I told her off. I started to feel very guilty about what I had done.

Natsu pinned me to the wall, and he spoke under his breath. "There's more to what happened, I know it. So, if you're here, then I expect you to go in there because you care about her. If you don't want to, then I suggest you get the hell out of this hospital."

He didn't wait to see what I would do, he just left. I gulped as I thought over what he had said. It was true, I suspected that something more had happened that night, but my extremely logical brain told me that it was impossible, that Natsu had seen it happened. But I guess if he thought there could be more to it, then so could I. I was relieved that Lucy hadn't done those things, but a part of me still told me not to hold out so much hope for which there was a small chance. So, I left.

But, before I did, I whispered,"I'm sorry, Lucy."

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I raced home after my confrontation with Erza. I was a bit harsh, but I knew that she would come to her senses. Even if she didn't enter that room, I knew that she knew that Lucy was, in fact, the person she was when we met her, not the person we thought she was after Homecoming. The happy, beautiful girl that light up the world.

As soon as I reached my house, I bolted upstairs, through the shower, pulled on some clothes, grabbed some food, and I was back in the car. Soon enough, I was back at the hospital.

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

It hurt. It all hurt. Everything hurt.

My head, my arms, my legs, my hands, my heart. It all hurt.

I debated whether or not to do it, to open my eyes. I knew the situation I was in. I couldn't how if I tried, I just knew. And, I knew that I had to wake up. I had to go back to the world of he living for everyone that I loved, even if they didn't love me. Even if it would be so much easier to just let go. I reasoned that if I still wanted to, I could always come back here, even though I knew I wouldn't be back again until I had no choice.

So, I gathered up every ounce of strength that I had, and I opened my eyes. But something was wrong. They wouldn't open. No matter what I tried, I couldn't see a thing, I couldn't open my eyes.

Then, I realized they were open, when somebody said,"Luce, you're awake!"

* * *

**So... how was it? What do you think is going on with Lucy? I think you can probably figure it out, but if not, my lips are sealed. I really hope you liked this chapter, with all of the different perspectives of what happened to Lucy. I wanted to show how a few of her best friends reacted to the accident. So, yes, she was hit by a car, if that wasn't clear. But, no, I'm not telling the extent of her injuries yet (if you haven't figured them out). Please just keep on reading, you know, if you like it!**


	14. It's going to be okay

**So here it chapter fourteen! Some of your questions will be answered. If you have any others... you have to wait, sorry. Anyways, you probably just want to read, so by all means, go on!**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Lucy's P.O.V.

"Natsu, I can't-I can't see!" I practically shrieked. My voice was panicked and I started to shake. Then I rocked.

I felt a warm hand on mine. It instantly calmed me.

"Luce, there's something that I have to tell you." I could hear the guilt in his voice. But why guilt? What did he have to be guilty about? I think it was Natsu… but I could've been wrong.

There were just so many things to hear. The _drip… drip… drip… _of the IV line. The _beep… beep… beep… _of the heart monitor. The _squeak… squeak… squeak… _of shoes on the clean hospital floor.

And so many things to smell. The room smelled like rubbing alcohol and rubber gloves. The person next to me, Natsu- I was pretty sure- smelled like a fire burning on Christmas Eve.

It was all so overwhelming that I didn't hear him when he said,"Luce, you're, um, well… you're blind."

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

Lucy was rocking. I tried putting my hand on her's again, but I don't think she even noticed. Her face was scrunched up in confusion, and frustration. She started humming to herself, and I got really worried.

"Luce-" I started.

"They won't work. They won't work," she murmured to herself. "They aren't working!" she screamed this time.

I climbed onto the hospital bed with her and took her fragile body in my arms. I let her rock, but now I controlled the steady beat. I "shoo"-ed in her ear quietly. Her hands were in fists, but they eventually released. I slowly lulled her back to sleep like that.

* * *

"Natsu, how is she?" Levy walked into the room, holding up two big Starbucks coffees. I took mine gratefully. Lucy hadn't woken up in a couple of hours, and I was still sleep-deprived.

"I-I don't know what to do." This was the first time Levy had visited since I came back. After that, she left, and soon after, Lucy woke up.

"What did she do when you told her?"

I pushed my bangs back with my hand. "That's just the thing-I don't think she even noticed. She just started rocking, and then humming. Then she started yelling about how 'they' wouldn't work. I got really worried, so I lulled her back to sleep. What am I going to do when she wakes up again?" My head was in my hands, and I was on the verge of tears.

Levy put her hand on my back. "Hey, hey, it's going to be okay. Lucy's strong, she'll get through this. I'm sure it's all just very overwhelming for her. I mean, she just woke up from a coma, and now she can't see? I know I would probably be having a mental breakdown. You just need to let her know that you're there for her, that we all are." She smiled at me as she sat down.

We spent the next few hours in silence, but it was comfortable. Well, maybe that's not the right word, but neither of us felt obligated to talk. We were too busy worrying about Luce.

* * *

Levy's P.O.V.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped up from the chair I was in. My heart raced, but when I saw who it was, I calmed down, but blushed a little.

"Woah, Shrimp, it's just me. Come on, I think you can use some fresh air." Gajeel started walking out of the room, and he gestured for me to follow.

I did, and I found myself standing just outside the hospital entrance before I fell to my knees.

"Hey, there. I know this is hard, but you have to be strong for bunny-girl. Right?" He lifted my chin so that I was looking him in the eyes.

I started sobbing. He just held me as I whined and complained about how it wasn't fair. About how Lucy didn't deserve that.

When I was done, I wiped my eyes, and sniffled a little. I looked up at Gajeel, and he looked me in the eyes. Then, he did something I didn't expect.

He kissed me. We were kissing! At first, my body was tense, but I relaxed into it. My hands were around his neck, and his were on my waist.

He pulled away for air, and mumbled,"Let's get out of here." I nodded in agreement, and we drove away in his car.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

Levy had just left with Gajeel when Lucy started waking up again. Why did that girl have to keep leaving right before? It's not that I didn't like being alone with Luce, I just didn't know how I was going to keep myself together. I'd never seen her like again, how many times are you going to see the girl that you love wake up from a coma and realize that she'll never see again?

She opened her eyes, and I could see a flash of confusion on her face, just like the last time. But this time, she came to the realization faster. I knew that she knew that she was blind, it just hurt so much to say it out loud, even though I knew that was what she needed.

"Luce-" I started for the second time that day.

"No! Don't say it! Don't you dare say it!" She held her hand up, index finger pointing straight ahead, because she didn't know where I was. My heart fell to my feet. I had been holding on to some hope that she could see something, but now it was lost.

"Luce, I have to say it." She started shaking her head. "Lucy, you're," I took a deep breath," you're blind."

She started sobbing and rocking again. I jumped on the bed again, and I "shoo"-ed in her ear again, but this time I wasn't trying to make her fall asleep. This time I was just trying to comfort her. This time I was trying to be there for her. This time, my message got through. Lucy pushed me away from her, but not forcefully.

There were tear stains on her cheeks, and her face was red and puffy. She still looked cute, not matter how much it hurt me to see her that way.

"It's okay, Natsu. I'm going to be okay." She tried to smile at me, but she didn't know where I was.

I broke down then and there. Lucy would never again be able to smile at me! She would never be able to run into my arms, or look at me as we talked. She wouldn't be able to see my face anymore! She wouldn't know when I was smiling, or crying, or blushing. But there I was, a stupid fool, crying in the arms of the girl that I should've been comforting. Lucy was too good to me.

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

Natsu was crying in my arms, and my heart was breaking. I wanted to be able to look him in the eyes and tell him that everything was alright, but I could only stare into space. I vowed to myself not to cry again, though. I had shed enough tears, and I needed to focus on someone else. That was me. I couldn't bear to deal with my own pain, so I helped others.

I didn't blame Natsu for crying, I would be too, if I were in his position. It did hurt, though. I wanted to be the one crying, but I also wanted to be strong, for him. I guess that's pretty backwards to most people, but I felt like it was my duty to protect him. He was always just so childish, and lighthearted. I wanted to keep him that way. I didn't want him to change just because of me.

The nurse walked in, and Natsu wiped his eyes. I didn't have to be able to see to know that he was blushing, but with a defiant expression, as if to say,"Yeah, I'm crying. So what?"

"How are you feeling, Lucy?" The nurse asked as I felt her adjust my IV.

"Um…" I didn't really want to talk about it in front of Natsu. I didn't want him to worry.

As if reading my mind, the nurse asked,"Do you think you could give us a minute?" I guessed that she was looking at Natsu, and he was probably pouting, because he knew that it wasn't really a question.

"Okay, he's out of the room," she said.

I sighed. "I'm… okay. Everything hurts, for the most part. My head, my arms, my legs."

The nurse laughed a little. "Well, that makes sense."

I was confused. I mean, I hadn't really had time to think about how I'd gotten into that situation.

"Honey, you were hit by a truck." My eyes widened on instinct. "And the truck was speeding." This time, I gasped.

"How am I…?"

I didn't have to finish for her to know what I meant.

"It's a miracle. Everyone in the hospital wants to meet you. Some reporters were trying to sneak into your room. The whole town, heck, the whole county knows what happened." There was a pause, and then," Oh! That reminds me, you have a couple of gifts."

Moments later, I felt a mountain of stuffed-animals fall onto my lap.

"A couple?" I laughed.

I could sense the nurse smiling. "You seem to be feeling better. I'm going to give you a few pain-killers, but other than that, you should be fine."

The door creaked as she opened it, but before she left, I said," Wait, what's your name? And could you ask when I can get out of here? I don't, like hospitals." Ever since my mom died, they just brought back bad memories.

"My name's Grace, and yes, it would be my pleasure."

There was a _thump! _as Natsu barged through the doorway just before the door closed. He sat on my bed and I felt it sag under his weight.

He put his hand on mine, but didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

* * *

**So...? Lucy's blind! Temporary or not? I wonder... Lol, sorry to stir up more questions, but there was some NaLu in there, I know you saw it! Or, read it? Idk. I hope you enjoyed, and please keep reading! Review or PM me if you have any comments.**


	15. He has her, she has him

**So, um, guys...this is the last chapter. I know, I know, I wasn't expecting it either, but it just felt right. Do you know what I mean? Well, anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this story.**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Lucy's P.O.V.

I plopped down on my bed for the first time in two weeks. I had been staying at the hospital so that they could run some tests, and I could get used to my new…situation.

I was exhausted, so I decided to take a quick bath and then a nap.

I shrugged off my clothes, and felt my way along the walls to the bathroom. It was scary, like I was lost in an unending labyrinth.

I only knew that I had reached my bathroom when I felt the cold tile underneath my feet. It came as a shock at first, and I had to sit down. I started rocking again, just like at the hospital. There was something comforting about it. Maybe it was the steady rhythm, or just that it was the one thing that I seemed to control...I don't know.

Taking deep breaths, I crawled over to the bathtub. My hand groped around for the faucet for a few minutes before I finally found it.

I turned the handle, and the sudden sound of water pounding on the bottom of the tub sent me falling backwards onto my back, shaking.

_Water is good. Water is calm. Water is relaxing. Water is safe._ I thought to myself, trying to sound convincing.

I gathered up what little courage I had and put my hand in the water. I was okay. The next step was putting my foot in, so I did. I was still okay. I decided to take a leap of faith and sit down in the water. My heartbeat sped up, but I was still okay.

I turned off the faucet when the water was high enough, and relaxed against the back of the tub. Then an idea popped into my head, and I had to do it. I was on a bit of a rush from just sitting in the water, so I decided to go all the way. I would put my head in.

Sure, it might seem trivial to normal people, but I hadn't been able to get my face wet since the accident.

So, I slid all the way into the water. I immediately started to panic. What was going on? I felt like I was drowning. I couldn't see the surface! Where was the air? Where did it go? Which way was up? Which way was down?

I thrashed in the water until I fell out of the tub onto the soft bath mat next to it. My chest heaved at the task of breathing. It seemed like I couldn't quite get enough air into my lungs.

I sat up-after I had calmed down-and felt around for my towel. Once I found it, I pulled it around my shoulders and made my way back to my bedroom.

Stumbling through the door, I let the towel fall from my arms and I reached into my dresser for what felt like some leggings and a tee. As I pulled them on, I walked over to my bed and pulled the covers up to my chin, just like when I was little, or sick. I curled up into a ball, and fell asleep.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I rang the bell a couple of times before I gave up, assuming that Luce was probably asleep. Looking down at the bag in my hand, I sighed. I had brought some Chinese take-out for us to share. I knew she loved dumplings.

Reaching into my back pocket, I took out my key. I only used it when Luce was out or asleep, since she didn't know I'd had it made. I wanted to respect her, and let her answer the door when she could, but when she couldn't….

I walked into Lucy's bedroom and saw her sleeping in her bed. She looked so cute, curled up like a child. I walked over and kissed her cheek. She smiled in her sleep, and I blushed, thinking that she'd woken up.

I placed the take-out on Lucy's kitchen counter and sat down on her couch to watch some TV. I wanted to be there when she woke up, in case she needed anything. I had vowed to myself to be there for her as much as possible. She needed me.

* * *

_Thump!_

I ran into Lucy's bedroom to find her crumpled on the floor. She was shaking and sobbing. I reached down and enveloped her body in mine, whispering in her ear,"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. It's okay," over and over again.

We stayed like that for a while, me holding her, and her quietly letting everything out.

Lucy pulled away, and chuckled as she wiped her tears away. "You know, I told myself not to cry in front of you," she sniffled.

"Why?" I looked down at her in concern. She knew that I would always be there for her, right?

"You're just so…innocent. I mean, you're like a child, and I didn't want to take that away from you." Lucy started blushing when I caught her off guard and pulled her into a long kiss.

"Now, is that the kiss of a child?" I winked, then turned serious. "Lucy, you know that you can come to me with anything, right? I don't care how stupid you think it is, if you care about it, then I do too. Nothing that you tell me will be too much. I'm here to help you carry your load."

Lucy looked up in the direction that she thought I was, and smiled. I smiled back, even though she couldn't see it.

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

I licked my vanilla ice cream, sitting on a bench outside next to Natsu. The birds were chirping, and it put me in a good mood. In my eyes, the world looked yellow, it was smiling.

It had been a year since the accident, and I was used to my...condition. I learned how to read braille, and use my white cane to figure out where things were. But, most importantly, I learned to see, in my own way. I could taste, feel, and hear colors. Oddly enough, lots of things were prettier this way.

Lots had happened since I met Natsu, and everything else. Erza, Levy and the rest of the gang apologized profusely to me, and they still did. Also, there were a couple new couples around. Levy and Gajeel were an official couple, Erza and Jellal, and Sting met a girl named Yukino. Supposedly, she was really sweet and he'd become a better person. He apologized to me too, but other than that, we didn't really talk. Oh, I almost forgot! Natsu and I were having or one year anniversary!

Natsu leaned over and put his arm around me. I smiled over at him, and I could feel him give me one of his big smiles back. It had kind of become our thing, smiling at each other when we didn't have anything else to say. When we didn't need to say anything at all.

It was getting dark (I could tell by the feel of the cooling air around me) when Natsu stood and pulled me up from the bench, and started leading me through the park. I knew exactly where we were headed.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I took Lucy down to this little dock that reached out into the lake that the park surrounded. I had a blanket sitting on the end, and a picnic basket full of food.

We sat down on the end, letting our feet dangle over the edge, our hands intertwined.

"I know you can't see them, Luce, but the stars are beautiful tonight, just like you."

Lucy blushed, but still hit me in the head. "You're such an idiot, Natsu."

"What did I do?" I said, feigning innocence.

"Oh, please," she said sarcastically,"you and your cheesy pickup lines. Don't you know that you've already got me?"

Natsu leaned over for a kiss. "Yeah, I do."

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

And I knew that I had him, too.

* * *

**How was it? The chapter? The whole story? I hope you liked it. So, I have a question for you guys. What do you want me to write next? You can write your ideas in the reviews, or PM me. I would really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks for being such a great group of readers and supporters! :)**


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